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Live Recording Guide

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Legal Notices

This guide is copyrighted ©2010 by Avid Technology, Inc., (hereafter “Avid”), with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this guide may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Avid.

003, 96 I/O, 96i I/O, 192 Digital I/O, 192 I/O, 888|24 I/O, 882|20 I/O, 1622 I/O, 24-Bit ADAT Bridge I/O, AudioSuite, Avid, Avid DNA, Avid Mojo, Avid Unity, Avid Unity ISIS, Avid Xpress, AVoption, Axiom, Beat Detective, Bomb Factory, Bruno, C|24, Command|8, Control|24, D-Command, D-Control, D-Fi, D-fx, D-Show, D-Verb, DAE, Digi 002, DigiBase, DigiDelivery, Digidesign, Digidesign Audio Engine, Digidesign Intelligent Noise Reduction, Digidesign TDM Bus, DigiDrive, DigiRack, DigiTest, DigiTranslator, DINR, DV Toolkit, EditPack, Eleven, HD Core, HD Process, Hybrid, Impact, Interplay, LoFi, M-Audio, MachineControl, Maxim, Mbox, MediaComposer, MIDI I/O, MIX, MultiShell, Nitris, OMF, OMF Interchange, PRE, ProControl, Pro Tools M-Powered, Pro Tools, Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE, QuickPunch, Recti-Fi, Reel Tape, Reso, Reverb One, ReVibe, RTAS, Sibelius, Smack!, SoundReplacer, Sound Designer II, Strike, Structure, SYNC HD, SYNC I/O, Synchronic, TL Aggro, TL AutoPan, TL Drum Rehab, TL Everyphase, TL Fauxlder, TL In Tune, TL MasterMeter, TL Metro, TL Space, TL Utilities, Transfuser, Trillium Lane Labs, Vari-Fi Velvet, X-Form, and XMON are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. Xpand! is Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice.

Guide Part Number 9324-65001-00 REV A 08/10

Documentation Feedback

At Avid, we are always looking for ways to improve our documentation. If you have comments, corrections, or suggestions regarding our documentation, email us at

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contents

Chapter 1. Introduction

. . . 1

VENUE Recording Options . . . 1

System Requirements and Compatibility . . . 3

Additional VENUE and Pro Tools Documentation. . . 3

Conventions Used in This Guide . . . 4

About www.avid.com . . . 4

Chapter 2. Hardware Connections

. . . 5

FWx Connections. . . 5

HDx Connections . . . 6

VENUE MADI Connections . . . 7

Redundant Output Connections . . . 8

HD Interfaces and HDx Connections . . . 9

Chapter 3. Configuring VENUE and Pro Tools

. . . 11

Configuring VENUE Systems . . . 11

Configuring Pro Tools. . . 16

Chapter 4. Live Recording and Playback

. . . 19

Creating a Session . . . 19

Creating Custom Templates . . . 26

Recording the Main L/R Mix. . . 28

Recording Submixes . . . 30

Recording Digital Splits . . . 32

Performing a Virtual Soundcheck . . . 34

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Chapter 5. Using VENUE Link

. . . 41

Making Audio Connections . . . 41

Making Data Connections . . . 41

Enabling VENUE Link . . . 45

Using VENUE Link . . . 47

Appendix A. Sychronization

. . . 53

Synchronizing Redundant Output Configurations . . . 53

Using an External Master Clock . . . 54

Synchronizing an HD Interface and HDx . . . 54

Locking Pro Tools to Time Code . . . 55

Appendix B. Troubleshooting

. . . 59

Backing Up Your Work . . . 59

Common Issues . . . 59

Performance Factors . . . 62

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chapter 1

Introduction

Welcome to the Live Recording Guide for VENUE

Systems and Pro Tools. This guide is for VENUE

users that are recording and playing back audio in live performances using Pro Tools. Refer to this guide to help you:

Make hardware connections between your

VENUE and Pro Tools systems.

Configure your VENUE and Pro Tools systems

for recording and playback.

Record live audio to your Pro Tools system.

Playback Pro Tools audio through your

VENUE system.

Simplify and enhance live recording and

play-back using VENUE Link.

Troubleshoot common issues.

VENUE Recording Options

All VENUE recording options offer assignable in-puts and outin-puts, which you can use to record and playback Pro Tools audio.

Additionally, HDx and the VENUE MADI card offer several different operating modes for re-cording and playing back Pro Tools audio.

All Systems

All VENUE recording options (FWx, HDx, and VENUE MADI) offer assignable inputs and out-puts. Assignables are patched in the VENUE sys-tem Patchbay, and are freely available in all op-erating modes.

Using assignables, you can do any or all of the following while simultaneously mixing a live performance:

• Record the Main L/R mix using Direct Outs. See “Recording the Main L/R Mix” on page 28.

• Record submixes (or stems) using VENUE system bus outputs. See “Recording Sub-mixes” on page 30.

• Assign Pro Tools tracks to any VENUE sys-tem input channel or FX Return for play-back of Pro Tools audio.

FWx

With FWx, assignable inputs and assignable out-puts are available for recording and playing back Pro Tools audio.

You can also perform the equivalent of a Virtual Soundcheck using pre-recorded Pro Tools tracks Pro Tools audio tracks by incorporating VENUE Snapshots into your workflow. See “FWx Virtual Soundcheck” on page 35.

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HDx and VENUE MADI

HDx and VENUE MADI offer, in addition to as-signable inputs and outputs, the following ad-vanced recording and playback features: Direct Digital Splits When Stage inputs are the main source of audio signals for VENUE, a one-for-one direct digital split of all VENUE Stage in-put channels are sent to your connected Pro Tools system. See “Enabling Digital Splits” on page 11 and “Recording Digital Splits” on page 32.

Virtual Soundcheck Mode In this mode, pre-recorded Pro Tools tracks are the main source of audio for your VENUE system. Stage input chan-nels are replaced with inputs from Pro Tools. You can then make adjustments to your mix and any changes, including creating and modi-fying Snapshots, carry over when you switch back to Stage mode. You can also choose whether or not to apply input channel gain changes made while in Virtual Soundcheck mode. See “Enabling Virtual Soundcheck Mode” on page 12 and “Performing a Virtual Sound-check” on page 34.

Input Mode In this mode, audio from Pro Tools is the main audio source for your VENUE sys-tem. Stage inputs on your VENUE system are re-placed with inputs from Pro Tools. Unlike Vir-tual Soundcheck mode, input channel gain, HPF, and other PRE parameters are ignored (sources from Pro Tools are reset to default, i.e, taken “direct” into VENUE). When switching back to Stage mode, previous input channel gain and PRE settings are restored. Any adjust-ments made in Input mode are dropped. Use Snapshots to store PRE parameters before enter-ing Input mode, then recall those Snapshots af-ter switching back to Stage mode. See “Enabling Input Mode” on page 14.

Redundant Outputs You can install two HDx cards, two MADI cards, or an HDx card and a MADI card in an FOH Rack or a Mix Rack and operate them in a redundant output configura-tion. With redundant outputs you can:

• Record all 48 Stage inputs, plus any assign-able outputs, to two independent, 64-chan-nel Pro Tools|HD systems.

• Record all 48 Stage inputs, plus any assign-able outputs, to a Pro Tools|HD system, and transmit the same channels to an external MADI device.

• Send all 48 Stage inputs, plus any assign-able outputs, to two external MADI de-vices, including a Pro Tools|HD system incorporating HD MADI interfaces. See “Enabling Redundant Outputs” on page 15.

In VENUE software 2.8.1 and lower, the mode called HDx Input was the only mode available for replacing Stage inputs with Pro Tools audio inputs. It provided all Vir-tual Soundcheck features. Beginning in VENUE software 2.9, these features are pro-vided in two separate operating modes.

All assignable inputs and outputs remain in-dependently routable and freely available.

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System Requirements and

Compatibility

To integrate your VENUE system with Pro Tools, you need the following:

An Avid-qualified VENUE system with an

in-stalled VENUE record/playback card (HDx card, VENUE MADI card, or the FWx card).

– and –

An external hard drive (or drives). Visit

www.avid.com for information on external hard drive requirements.

Avidcan only assure compatibility and provide

support for hardware and software it has tested and approved.

For complete system requirements and a list of Avid-qualified computers, operating systems, hard drives, and third-party devices, refer to the latest information on the Avid website:

www.avid.com

Additional VENUE and

Pro Tools Documentation

For information on installing cards in your VENUE system, see the guide that came with your card.

For more information on installing

Pro Tools|HD card and tips for optimizing your Pro Tools computer, see the HD Card Quick Setup or the Pro Tools HD User Guide.

For complete information on using Pro Tools software, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

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Conventions Used in This

Guide

All our guides use the following conventions to indicate menu choices and key commands:

The names of Commands, Options, and Settings that appear on-screen are in a different font. The following symbols are used to highlight im-portant information:

About www.avid.com

The Avid website (www.avid.com) is your best online source for information to help you get the most out of your Pro Tools system. The fol-lowing are just a few of the services and features available.

Product Registration Register your purchase on-line.

Support and Downloads Contact Avid Customer Success; download software updates and the lat-est online manuals; browse the Compatibility documents for system requirements; search the online Answerbase; or join the worldwide Pro Tools community on the User Conference. Training and Education Study on your own using courses available online or find out how you can learn in a classroom setting at a certified Pro Tools training center.

Products and Developers Learn about Avid prod-ucts; download demo software or learn about our Development Partners and their plug-ins, applications, and hardware.

News and Events Get the latest news from Avid or sign up for a Pro Tools demo.

Pro Tools Accelerated Videos Watch the series of free tutorial videos. Accelerated Videos are de-signed to help you get up and running with Pro Tools and its plug-ins quickly.

Live Sound Webinars Watch free tutorial videos and VENUE-specific webinars to learn from the experts.

Convention Action

File > Save Choose Save from the File menu

Control+N Hold down the Control key and press the N key

Control-click Hold down the Control key and click the mouse button

Right-click Click with the right mouse button

User Tips are helpful hints for getting the most from your system.

Important Notices include information that could affect your Pro Tools session data or the performance of your system.

Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or mouse shortcuts.

Cross References point to related sections in this guide or other Avid Guides.

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chapter 2

Hardware Connections

This chapter explains the hardware connections required for live recording and playback using FWx, HDx, and VENUE MADI with Pro Tools. Redundant output connections and the required connec-tions for integrating a Pro Tools|HD interface are also explained.

FWx Connections

FWx requires a single Firewire connection between VENUE and an available Firewire port on your computer. When connected, Pro Tools detects FWx, and FWx appears in the Pro Tools Hardware Setup and I/O Setup dialogs.

Connecting External Hard Drives to FWx

If your Pro Tools computer only has one FireWire port and you are using an external FireWire hard drive as your record volume, connect a FireWire cable from the FireWire port on your VENUE system to an available FireWire port on the external drive. Then connect another FireWire cable from a sec-ond available port on the external drive to the FireWire port on your computer. Your external FireWire drive must have two FireWire ports. See the 003 Family User Guide for more information on using external FireWire drives with Pro Tools.

Figure 1. FWx record and playback configuration and available I/O

FWx assignable inputs FWx

Pro Tools computer

and outputs 1–18

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HDx Connections

HDx is connected to a Pro Tools|HD system using the same DigiLink cables used to connect other Pro Tool|HD equipment. In HDx installations, all DigiLink cables must be the same length. DigiLink cables are bidirectional. When VENUE’s Stage inputs are active, the DigiLink cables carry VENUE channels to Pro Tools. When VENUE is in Virtual Soundcheck or Input mode, the DigiLink cables carry Pro Tools channels to VENUE . In all modes, assignable inputs and outputs are freely available and independently routable.

When connected, HDx appears in the Pro Tools IO Setup and Hardware Setup dialogs.

To use VENUE Link, you must also connect an Ethernet cable between systems. See Chapter 5, “Us-ing VENUE Link.”

Figure 2. HDx recording and playback configuration and available I/O

Accel cards Core card HDx 1

HDx 2

Stage 1 channels 33–48, and HDx 1 assignable I/O*

Stage 2 channels 1–32

Stage 2 channels 33–48 (81–96), and HDx 2 assignable I/O*

Pro Tools system HDx1 channels 1–32** HDx1 channels 33–48, and HDx 1 assignable I/O** HDx2 channels 1-32 HDx2 channels 33–48, and HDx 2 assignable I/O** (49–80)** Stage 1 channels 1–32*

* Channels to Pro Tools ** Channels to VENUE in Virtual Soundcheck (49–80)*

Assignable inputs and outputs available in all modes.

Assignable inputs and outputs available in all modes.

with Stage inputs active.

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VENUE MADI Connections

VENUE MADI is connected to a Pro Tools|HD MADI interface using optical or coaxial cables. Separate input and output connections for sending and receiving audio are required between the VENUE MADI card and the HD MADI interface. HD MADI interfaces are connected to Pro Tools using Di-giLink cables. See the HD MADI User Guide for making connections from HD MADI to Pro Tools. When connected, Pro Tools detects connected HD MADI interfaces (not connected VENUE MADI cards). HD MADI interfaces appear in the Pro Tools Hardware Setup and IO Setup dialogs.

To use VENUE Link, you must also connect an Ethernet cable between systems. See Chapter 5, “Using VENUE Link.”

Figure 3. VENUE MADI record/playback configuration using optical connections MADI OPTICAL 1 IN OUT MADI COAXIAL 1 OUT IN MADI OPTICAL 2 IN OUT MADI COAXIAL 2 OUT IN PORT 1 PORT 2

SRC AES/EBUSRC WORD CLOCKWORD CLOCKLOOP SYNC AC ~ 100-240V;50-60HZ; .5A

IN OUT IN 1 IN 2 MADI OPTICAL 1 IN OUT MADI COAXIAL 1 OUT IN MADI OPTICAL 2 IN OUT MADI COAXIAL 2 OUT IN PORT 1 PORT 2

SRC AES/EBUSRC WORD CLOCKWORD CLOCKLOOP SYNC AC ~ 100-240V;50-60HZ; .5A

IN OUT IN 1 IN 2

MADIOut In Sig Out In

Opt

MADIOut In Sig Out In

Opt VENUE MADI 1 VENUE MADI 2 HD MADI 1 HD MADI 2 Stage 1 channels 1–48

and MADI 1 assignable

MADI 1 channels 1–48 and MADI 2 assignable outputs 1–64*

inputs 49–64*

Stage 2 channels 1–48 and MADI 2 assignable outputs 49–64*

MADI 2 channels 1–48 and MADI 2 assignable inputs 49–64** A HD MADI channels 1–32 A HD MADI channels 33–64 B HD MADI channels B HD MADI channels 33–64 1–32

Loop Sync cables

* Channels to Pro Tools in Stage mode

** Channels to VENUE in Virtual Soundcheck or Input mode

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Redundant Output Connections

(HDx and VENUE MADI only)

This section shows the hardware connections for two possible redundant output configurations. To enable redundant outputs, see “Enabling Redundant Outputs” on page 15. When using VENUE MADI with third-party MADI devices, an additional word-clock connection may be required. See “Synchronizing Redundant Output Configurations” on page 53 for more information.

HDx 1 and HDx2

In this configuration, Stage 1 inputs 1–48 are copied to both HDx 1 and HDx 2 outputs. Assignable in-puts and outin-puts from both cards (16 channels x 2) are freely available.

HDx 1 and MADI 2

In this configuration, Stage 1 inputs 1–48 are copied to MADI 2 optical and coaxial outputs. Assign-able channels from both cards (16 channels x 2) are freely availAssign-able. (A separate input connection is required to use MADI 2 assignable inputs on the VENUE system). Additional word clock connections may be required for third-party MADI devices. See the VENUE MADI Card Guide or your MADI de-vices’s documentation for more information.

Figure 4. Redundant output mode using VENUE HDx 2 card as the redundant output

Figure 5. Redundant output mode using VENUE MADI 2 card as the redundant output

Stage 1 channels 1–32

Local Pro Tools|HD2 at FOH HDx 1 HDx 2 Remote Pro ToosHD2 Stage 1 channels 1–32 Stage 1 channels 33–48 HDx 2 assignable I/O Stage 1 channels 33–48 HDx 1 assignable I/O

MADIOut In Sig Out In

Opt

HDx 1

MADI 2

Stage 1 channels 1–32

Local Pro Tools|HD2 at FOH Remote Stage 1 channels 33–48 Pro Tools|HD2 or Stage 1 channels 1-48 HDx 1 assignable I/O

MADI 2 assignable outs 49–64

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HD Interfaces and HDx Connections

You may want to use a Pro Tools HD interface (HD IO, 192 I/OTM, 192 Digital I/OTM, 96 I/OTM, or

96i I/OTM) with your live recording system to allow for remote monitoring or remote audio input

(such as audience mics located at the FOH position). Connect the HD-series audio interface to the last Pro Tools|HD card in the sequence (the HD card farthest away from the Core card).

A word clock connection between the VENUE system and the audio interface is also required. See “Synchronizing an HD Interface and HDx” on page 54.

Figure 6. Example HDx configuration integrating an HD audio interface

Audience mics Remote monitors

HD interface

Mic Pre HDx 1

HDx 2

Pro Tools computer VENUE system Word Clock Out (FOH Rack shown)

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chapter 3

Configuring VENUE and Pro Tools

After connecting VENUE and Pro Tools, you need to configure both systems for recording and playback.

Configuring VENUE Systems

Configuring your VENUE system for use with Pro Tools includes the following (depending on your VENUE hardware):

• Enabling VENUE to send direct digital splits to Pro Tools

• Enabling Virtual Soundcheck mode • Enabling Input mode

• Enabling redundant outputs

Enabling Digital Splits

(HDx and VENUE MADI Only)

To send digital splits of your VENUE system Stage input channels, your Stage inputs must be enabled and active.

To enable a digital split of your Stage input channels:

1 Do one of the following to put your system

into Config Mode:

• Press the Console Config switch on the console.

– or –

• Double-click the Mode box in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

2 Go to the Options page and click the System

tab to access the System Configuration page.

3 Click Edit.

4 For Stage 1 inputs, in the Inputs section of the

System Configuration page, beneath Inputs 1–4, select Stage 1 (or Stage for Mix Rack).

FWx requires no VENUE system configur-ing. You can proceed to “Configuring Pro Tools System Settings” on page 17.

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5 For systems with a second Stage Rack, do the following:

• Select Enable Stage 2.

• Select Enable HDX 2 (or MADI 2).

• In the Inputs section of the System Config-uration page, beneath Inputs 49–96, select Stage 2.

6 Click Apply. The system restarts with all

se-lected Stage inputs active.

Any audio present on VENUE system Stage in-put channels is sent to all HDx card ports, or to the MADI card coaxial and optical outputs.

Enabling Virtual Soundcheck

Mode

(HDx and VENUE MADI with VENUE Software 2.8.5 and Higher Only)

In Virtual Soundcheck mode, audio from Pro Tools replaces the corresponding Stage in-puts one-for-one, and appear in place of those Stage Inputs in the VENUE Patchbay. All changes to your live mix (such as channel as-signments, and input and output processing) carry over when you enable Virtual Soundcheck mode. The digital portion of the gain for each

channel is preserved and applied to the incom-ing signal from Pro Tools. This results in the same apparent levels for Pro Tools inputs and Stage inputs.

To enable Virtual Soundcheck mode:

1 Put your system into Config mode.

2 Go to the Options page and click the System

tab to access the System Configuration page.

3 Click Edit.

4 For the first HDx or MADI card, in the Inputs

section of the System Configuration page, be-neath Inputs 1–48 select HDx1 (or MADI 1), then select Virtual Soundcheck from the Input format pop-up menu.

5 For systems with a second HDx or MADI card,

do the following:

• Select Enable Stage 2.

• Select Enable HDx2 (or MADI 2).

• In the Inputs section of the System Config-uration page, beneath Inputs 49–96, select HDx2 (or MADI 2), then select Virtual Sound-check from the Input format pop-up menu.

Enabling Stage 2

Selecting Stage 2

In VENUE software 2.8.1 and lower, the mode called HDx Input was the only mode available for replacing Stage inputs with Pro Tools audio inputs. It provided all Vir-tual Soundcheck features. Beginning in VENUE software 2.9, these features are pro-vided in two separate operating modes.

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6 For each MADI card present, click the Input Format pop-up menu and choose one of the fol-lowing input options:

Optical Priority (default) The optical input is au-tomatically selected and made active when a valid input signal is detected on the optical in-put. If signal is being sent simultaneously to both the optical and the coaxial inputs, only the optical input will be active.

Optical Only the optical input is active, whether or not a valid MADI connection exists. Coaxial Only the coaxial input is active, whether or not a valid MADI connection exists.

7 Click Apply. The Stage tabs in the Patchbay are

replaced by HDx or MADI tabs depending on your configuration, and all Stage routing is pre-served. A history Show file of the previous con-figuration is also created and stored in Filing > History.

Exiting Virtual Soundcheck Mode

To exit Virtual Soundcheck mode and return to active Stage inputs:

1 Put your system into Config mode.

2 Go to the Options page and click the System

tab to access the System Configuration page.

3 In the Inputs section of the System

Configura-tion page, beneath Inputs 1–48 select Stage 1 (or Stage for Mix Rack).

4 For systems with a second Stage Rack, In the

Inputs section of the System Configuration page, beneath Inputs 49–96 select Stage 2.

5 When the Apply/Discard dialog appears, click

either of the following as desired:

Apply Any gain changes made in Virtual Sound-check mode are added to the total Stage input gain on each channel.

Discard Any gain changes made in Virtual Soundcheck mode are lost and the Stage input gain is returned to its previous value on each channel.

For example, if you set Stage input gain for a channel to +30 dB, then switch to Virtual Soundcheck mode, a digital gain of +2.2 dB is preserved in Virtual Soundcheck mode to yield the same overall gain on that channel (because 2.2 dB of the 30 dB setting was digital gain as compared to analog gain).

While in Virtual Soundcheck mode, if you in-crease the digital gain on the channel by 6 dB (to a displayed setting of +8.2 dB), and then switch back to Stage mode, you can do one of the following:

• Apply the gain change, yielding a Stage in-put gain increase of 6 dB, or a final setting of +36 dB (30+6).

– or –

• Discard the gain change, leaving the origi-nal Stage input gain unchanged at +30 dB.

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Enabling Input Mode

(HDx and VENUE MADI with VENUE software 2.8.5 and Higher Only)

In Input mode, Pro Tools is the main source of audio signals for your VENUE system. Audio channels from Pro Tools appear one-for-one in place of Stage inputs in the VENUE Patchbay. To replace Stage inputs with inputs from Pro Tools:

1 Put your system into Config mode

2 Go to the Options page and click the System

tab to access the System Configuration page.

3 Click Edit.

4 In the Inputs section of the System

Configura-tion page, beneath Inputs 1–48, select HDx1 (or MADI 1), then select Input Mode from the pop-up menu.

5 For systems with a second HDx or MADI card,

do the following:

• Select Enable HDx2 (or Enable MADI 2).

– and –

• In the Inputs section of the System Config-uration page, beneath Inputs 49–96, select MADI 2, then select Input Mode from the pop-up menu.

6 For each MADI card present, click the Input

Format pop-up menu and choose one of the fol-lowing input options:

Optical Priority (default) The optical input is au-tomatically selected and made active when a valid input signal is detected on the optical in-put. If signal is being sent simultaneously to both the optical and the coaxial inputs, only the optical input will be active.

Optical Only the optical input is active, whether or not a valid MADI connection exists. Coaxial Only the coaxial input is active, whether or not a valid MADI connection exists.

Enabling Input mode for inputs 1–48 (HDx shown)

Enable Stage 2 and HDx2

Enabling Input mode for Stage 2 inputs (HDx shown)

It is possible to use HDx2 or MADI 2 inputs even if a second Stage Rack (Stage 2) is not present in the system. A second Snake card must be installed in your FOH Rack. See the Snake Card guide for more information.

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7 Click Apply. In the dialog box that appears, click OK.

The system restarts with HDx or MADI inputs active. A history Show file of the previous con-figuration is also created and stored in Filing > History.

Adjusting Input Gain in MADI Input

Mode

In MADI Input mode, input channel gain is ad-justed using the input gain encoders. Digital gain (-20 dB to +18 dB) is available for all MADI inputs.

When switching from active Stage inputs to MADI Input mode, all gains for MADI input channels are set to 0 dB.

When switching from MADI input mode to ac-tive Stage inputs, all MADI digital gain settings are replaced by pre-existing Stage input channel gain settings.

Enabling Redundant Outputs

To enable redundant outputs:

1 Put your system into Config mode.

2 Go to the Options page and click the System

tab to access the System Configuration page.

3 Click Edit.

4 Do one of the following depending on your

configuration:

• If you have two HDx cards installed, click Enable HDx 2, an click Copy Stage 1 (or Stage for Mix Rack) Outputs to HDx 2. • If you have an HDx card installed in slot 1

(HDx1) and a MADI card installed in slot 2 (MADI 2), and you want to copy HDx , click Enable MADI 2 and click Copy Stage 1 (or Stage for Mix Rack) Outputs to MADI 2. • If you have a MADI card installed in slot 1

(MADI 1) and a HDx card installed in slot 2 (HDx2), and you want to copy the MADI 1 outputs to HDx 2 outputs, click Enable HDx2 and click Copy Stage 1 (or Stage for Mix Rack) Outputs to HDx 1.

• If you have two MADI cards installed (MADI 1 and MADI 2), and you want to copy MADI 1 outputs to MADI 2, click En-able MADI 2 and click Copy Stage 1 (or Stage for Mix Rack) Outputs to MADI 2.

5 Click Apply.

Stage 1 (or Stage for Mix Rack), inputs are copied to the second card’s outputs, and all assignable inputs and outputs are available for each option card.

If you want to revert to the previous configu-ration, in the Show Folder column select the most recent Show file from the Most Recent Changes folder, and click Load.

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Configuring Pro Tools

Configuring your Pro Tools system for use with a VENUE system includes the following:

• Confirming communications between sys-tems

• Configuring Pro Tools system settings

Confirming Communications

Between Systems

After connecting your equipment, you should confirm that Pro Tools correctly recognizes your VENUE system.

To confirm communications between systems:

1 Make sure your Pro Tools and VENUE systems

are connected properly. See Chapter 2, “Hard-ware Connections.”

2 Launch Pro Tools.

3 Before creating a new session, choose Setup >

I/O. The I/O Setup dialog lets you define which physical ports on your hardware are routed to available inputs and outputs in Pro Tools.

4 In the I/O Setup dialog, do the following:

• Click the Inputs tab, and click the Default button.

• Click the Outputs tab, and click the Default button.

5 Confirm that your VENUE system hardware

appears in the IO Setup dialog, as follows: FWx If you are using a VENUE FWx card, it ap-pears as FWx.

HDx When using VENUE HDx cards, the first HDx card appears as HD1 Port A and HD1 Port B, and the second card (if applicable) appears as HD2 Port A and HD2 Port B.

VENUE MADI When using VENUE MADI cards connected to HD MADI interfaces, the

HD MADI interface appears as A HD MADI Port 1 and A HD MADI Port 2, and the second interface (if applicable) appears as B HD MADI Port 1 and B HD MADI Port 2.

6 Click OK to confirm and close the IO Setup

di-alog.

I/O Setup dialog

HDx card in Pro Tools I/O Setup dialog

HD MADI interface in the IO Setup dialog

The HD MADI interface must use its default names if you want to use VENUE Link. See Chapter 5, “Using VENUE Link.”

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Configuring Pro Tools System

Settings

After confirming connections, you can config-ure your Pro Tools system settings. The default settings usually provide optimum performance. However, you may need to make changes de-pending on the scope of your session and your hardware configuration.

To configure your Pro Tools system settings:

1 Choose Setup > Playback Engine.

2 For HDx and VENUE MADI only, if you want

to record more than 48 tracks simultaneously you must increase the number of available voices.

From the Number of Voices pop-up menu, select the number of voices in the next tier of voices above the number of tracks you are recording, with the maximum amount of DSP. For exam-ple, if you are recording 80 tracks, choose 96 Voices (maximum number of available DSPs).

3 From the DAE Playback Buffer pop-up menu

select the highest available buffer size. Memory requirements for each setting are shown at the bottom of the Playback Engine dialog. If Pro Tools needs more memory for the DAE Play-back Buffer, it will prompt you to restart your computer.

4 Click OK to confirm and close the Playback

Engine dialog.

5 For VENUE MADI only, choose Setup >

Hard-ware Setup, and do the following for each HD MADI interface connected:

• Select an HD MADI Port 1 in the Peripher-als list so that it is highlighted.

• From the Clock Source pop-up menu, select HD MADI.

• From the Sample Rate pop-up menu select 48 kHz.

• For the Physical MADI format, select either Optical or Coaxial for the type of audio cable connection used to connect the VENUE MADI card to the HD MADI interface. • For the MADI Channel Count, select

Full Channel Count (64).

• For MADI Routing, select Normal.

Selecting the Number of Voices in the Playback Engine dialog

Setting the DAE Playback Buffer size

A higher setting may increase the time lag when starting playback or recording.

VENUE system audio is always 48 kHz. However, HD MADI supports sample rates greater than 48 kHz using sample rate con-version. See the HD MADI User Guide for more information.

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• Repeat this for all HD MADI ports items that appear in the Peripherals list.

6 Click OK.

7 Next, choose Setup > Preferences and click the

Operation tab.

8 In the Record section, under Open Ended

Re-cord Allocation select Use All Available Space.

9 Click OK.

Hardware settings for VENUE MADI and HD MADI interface in Hardware Setup dialog

Setting the record allocation on the Operation tab of the Preferences dialog

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chapter 4

Live Recording and Playback

This chapter provides workflows for the follow-ing common VENUE and Pro Tools recordfollow-ing and playback scenarios:

• Creating a Pro Tools session. • Creating custom session templates. • Recording the Main L/R mix using Direct

Outs.

• Recording submixes (or stems) using bus outputs.

• Recording digital splits.

• Performing a Virtual Soundcheck. • Recording audience mics.

Before proceeding, your VENUE system and the Pro Tools computer must be connected and con-figured. See “Hardware Connections” on page 5 and “Configuring VENUE and Pro Tools” on page 11 for more information.

Creating a Session

You can create sessions in the following ways: • Creating a session from VENUE

automati-cally using VENUE Link (requires Pro Tools HD 8.1.x and higher, and VENUE software 2.9 and higher).

• Creating a session using VENUE session templates (requires Pro Tools HD 8.1.x and higher).

• Creating a session manually.

Create a Session from VENUE

Using VENUE Link

When you choose to create a Pro Tools session from VENUE, new mono and stereo audio tracks are automatically created for all patched VENUE system mono and stereo Stage input channels. Tracks are also automatically created for any output busses (including direct outs) or FX Re-turns patched to HDx or MADI assignable out-puts in the VENUE system Patchbay.

VENUE Link must be enabled. See “Using VENUE Link” on page 41.

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To create a Pro Tools session from VENUE using VENUE Link:

1 On your VENUE system, make sure you have

loaded the Show file you want to use as the basis for your Pro Tools session.

2 Launch Pro Tools and do one of the following:

• If the Quick Start dialog appears, choose, Create Session from VENUE.

– or –

• If the Quick Start dialog does not appear, choose File > New Session, and choose Cre-ate Session from VENUE.

3 To set session parameters, do the following (if

session parameters are not visible click the Ses-sion Parameters reveal button):

• Set the audio file format for the session. For optimum compatibility between Windows and Mac, set the file type to BWF (.WAV). • Select the bit depth (16 bit or 24 bit). • Set sample rate to 48 kHz. In most cases,

you will not be able to change this value when connected to a VENUE system.

4 Click OK.

5 Select the drive where you want to save the

session. The session should be saved on a dedi-cated audio drive.

6 Your most recently loaded VENUE Show file

appears as the session name. You can accept the name or edit it.

7 Click Save.

8 The session is created and new, automatically

named tracks appear. IO routing is also automat-ically assigned.

Creating a Session Using VENUE

Session Templates

VENUE Session templates offer basic record and playback templates that provide pre-defined tracks and I/O assignments.

In the Virtual Soundcheck templates, track out-put assignments follow inout-put assignments one-for-one. When performing a Virtual Sound-check, each Pro Tools track plays back through its corresponding VENUE channel.

In the record templates, track output paths are assigned to Pro Tools internal Bus 1-2.

Creating a session from VENUE in the New Session dialog

The supported track count for a drive de-pends on the session’s parameters and the type of drive. For more information, see “Al-locating Audio Drives” on page 60.

Saving the session in the Save As dialog

If you are recording multiple instances of a performance using the same Show file, you should save each session to a new folder and name the folder and the session accordingly.

For detailed information on how tracks are named and how I/O routing is assigned, see “Using VENUE Link” on page 47.

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To create a Pro Tools session using a VENUE Session template:

1 Launch Pro Tools and do either of the

follow-ing:

• If the Quick Start dialog appears, choose, Create Session from Template.

– or –

• If the Quick Start dialog does not appear, choose File > New Session, and choose Cre-ate Session from TemplCre-ate.

2 From the Session Template pop-up menu,

se-lect the VENUE category, and choose an avail-able template from the list.

3 To set session parameters, do the following (if

session parameters are not visible click the Ses-sion Parameters reveal button):

• Set the audio file format for the session. For optimum compatibility between Windows and Mac, set the file type to BWF (.WAV). • Select the bit depth (16 bit or 24 bit).

• Set sample rate to 48 kHz. In most cases, you will not be able to change this value when connected to a VENUE system.

4 Click OK.

5 Select the drive where you want to save the

session. The session should be saved on a dedi-cated audio drive.

6 Name your session and click Save. The new

session is created. Pro Tools provides two main windows in sessions, the Edit window (Window > Edit) and the Mix window (Window > Mix). Choose Window > Edit to view the Edit window.

7 After Pro Tools has created and opened the

new session, choose Setup > I/O. The IO Setup dialog lets you define which physical ports on your hardware are routed to available inputs and outputs in Pro Tools.

8 In the IO Setup dialog, do the following:

• Click the Input tab, and click the Default button.

• Click the Output tab, and click the Default button.

• Click OK to confirm and close the IO Setup dialog.

9 Proceed to “Naming Tracks” on page 23.

Quickstart dialog showing VENUE session templates

In addition to the factory-provided VENUE templates, you can create and save your own templates and have them available in the Quick Start or New Session dialogs. See “Creating Templates with Pro Tools 8.0 and Higher” on page 26.

A drive’s supported track count depends on the session’s parameters and the type of drive. For more information, see “Allocating Audio Drives” on page 60.

You can toggle between the Mix window and the Edit window by pressing Cmd+= (Mac) or Ctrl+= (Windows).

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Creating a Session Manually

On all systems, sessions can be created manu-ally.

You can then create your own custom template from the session you have created, which you can use as a basis for subsequent sessions. See “Creating Custom Templates” on page 26. To create and save a session:

1 Launch Pro Tools and do either of the

follow-ing:

• If the Quick Start dialog appears, choose, Create Blank Session.

– or –

• If the Quick Start dialog does not appear, choose File > New Session, and choose Create Blank Session.

2 To set session parameters, do the following (if

session parameters are not visible click the Ses-sion Parameters reveal button):

• Set the audio file format for the session. For optimum compatibility between Windows and Mac, set the file type to BWF (.WAV). • Select the bit depth (16 bit or 24 bit). • Set sample rate to 48 kHz. In most cases,

you will not be able to change this value when connected to a VENUE system.

3 Click OK.

4 Select the drive where you want to save the

session. The session should be saved on a dedi-cated audio drive.

5 Name your session and click Save. The new

session is created. Pro Tools provides two main windows in sessions, the Edit window (Window > Edit) and the Mix window (Window > Mix). Choose Window > Edit to view the Edit window.

6 After Pro Tools has created and opened the

new session, choose Setup > IO Setup. The IO Setup dialog lets you define which physical ports on your hardware are routed to available inputs and outputs in Pro Tools.

7 In the IO Setup dialog, do the following:

• Click the Input tab, and click the Default button.

• Click the Output tab, and click the Default button.

• Click OK to confirm and close the IO Setup dialog.

8 Proceed to “Creating Tracks” on page 23.

Saving the session in the Save As dialog

You can toggle between the Mix window and the Edit window by pressing Cmd+= (Mac) or Ctrl+= (Windows).

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Creating Tracks

To create new tracks:

1 Choose Track > New.

2 Select Mono or Stereo from the Track Format

pop-up menu.

3 Select Audio Track from the Track Type pop-up

menu.

4 Select Samples from the Track Timebase

pop-up menu.

5 Enter the number of new tracks.

6 To add more tracks in a different format, click

the Add Row button.

7 Click Create. New tracks are created and

ap-pear in the window.

8 Proceed to “Naming Tracks” on page 23.

Naming Tracks

To name tracks:

1 Double-click the Track Name button for the

first track.

2 In the Track Name/Comments dialog, enter a

track name and add comments if desired.

3 Click Next to name other displayed tracks.

4 Click OK when done naming tracks.

5 Proceed to “Assigning Inputs to Tracks for

Re-cording” on page 24.

New Tracks dialog

When adding tracks to new sessions, inputs are automatically assigned to tracks in as-cending order. Outputs are automatically assigned according to the New Track De-fault Output Bus specified in the I/O Setup dialog. See the Pro Tools Reference Guide for more information.

Number of new tracks

Track Format Track Type

Track Timebase

Add Row

The Track Name button in the Edit window

If you are using VENUE Link and you want to import VENUE channel names to your existing session’s tracks, see “Importing VENUE Channel Names as Track Names” on page 50.

Naming tracks in the Track Name dialog

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Assigning Inputs to Tracks for

Recording

To assign an audio input to a track:

1 In the Mix or Edit window, click a track’s Input

Path selector.

2 To record a VENUE bus output channel such

as the Main L/R, a Direct Out, an Aux, a Group, or a Matrix select the following from the Inter-face sub-menu, as available on your system:

• For FWx, choose from any of the available inputs.

• For HDx, choose an HD Assignable input. • For VENUE MADI, choose an HD MADI

in-put channel between 49–64.

3 To record a digital split of a VENUE Stage

in-put channel, select the following from the Inter-face sub-menu, as available on your system:

• For HDx, choose a Stage1 or Stage2 input. – or –

• For VENUE MADI, choose an A HD MADI or B HD MADI input channel between 1–48.

Pro Tools Input Path selector showing current track input and output assignment

Inputs and outputs in use by another track appear in bold in the selector.

HD MADI channels 49–64 correspond to VENUE MADI assignable channels 49–64.

Assigning an HDx assignable output to a Pro Tools track input in the Edit window

Input Path selector

You can auto-assign all track inputs or out-puts incrementally by Command-Option-clicking (Mac) or Control-Alt-Command-Option-clicking (Win-dows) while assigning the first track’s input or output. Subsequent tracks will be auto-assigned to unique mono or stereo paths in ascending order.

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Assigning Outputs to Tracks for

Monitoring, Playback, and Virtual

Soundchecks

To assign an audio output to a track:

1 Click the track’s Output Path selector.

2 If you are not monitoring or playing back your

tracks through your VENUE system, select Bus and choose an internal Pro Tools bus.

3 To playback or monitor a track through your

VENUE system, or to do an FWx Virtual Sound-check, select Output and choose the following, depending on your hardware configuration:

• For FWx, choose any of the available out-puts.

• For HDx, choose an HD Assignable output.

• For VENUE MADI, choose an A HD MADI or B HD MADI input channel between 49 and 64.

4 To do an HDx or VENUE MADI Virtual

Sound-check with tracks recorded from digital splits of VENUE Stage input channels, select Output and choose one of the following, as available on your system:

• For HDx, choose an HD1 or HD2 output. – or –

• For VENUE MADI, choose an A HD MADI or B HD MADI channel between 1 and 48.

5 If you are using a Pro Tools HD interface to

monitor the recording, select Output and choose the HD interface outputs (such as A 1–2) that are connected to your monitors.

Pro Tools Input and Output Path selectors showing current input and output assignments

Tracks can share output assignments.

Assigning a Pro Tools track output to an internal bus

Output Path selector

Assigning a Pro Tools track output to a VENUE assignable input (HDx shown)

Assigning a Pro Tools track output to a VENUE Stage input channel for Virtual Soundcheck (HDx shown)

You can auto-assign all tracks to the same output by Option-clicking (Mac) or Alt-clicking (Windows) while assigning any track output.

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Creating Custom Templates

You can create custom session templates that are pre-configured to the track setups, mixer configurations and window arrangements that you use most frequently. Doing this will save you the trouble of having to create your setup from scratch every time you start a new session. The process for creating and saving custom tem-plates depends on the version of Pro Tools you are using.

Creating Templates with Pro Tools

8.0 and Higher

(Mac and Windows)

With Pro Tools 8.0 and higher, you can create and share your own custom session templates. Pro Tools Session Template files use the suffix “.ptt” to differentiate them from regular Pro Tools session files (“.ptf”).

Creating and Saving Custom Templates

To create a custom Pro Tools Session Template:

1 Create a new Pro Tools session and configure

it for the session template you want.

2 Choose File > Save As Template.

3 Select the Include Media option if there is any

audio, MIDI, or video media in the session that you want included in the template.

4 Click OK.

5 Select one of the following options:

• If you select Install Template In System, the session template will be available in the Pro Tools Session Quick Start dialog on that Pro Tools system only.

– or –

• If you select Select Location For Template op-tion, you are prompted by the Save As Tem-plate dialog to save the file to another location on your system.

Creating New Sessions from Templates

You can create new session from templates by opening a template. You can open any Pro Tools Session Template file (.ptt) to start a new session based on that template.

To open a Pro Tools Session Template and save it as a new session:

1 Choose File > Open, navigate to the Session

Template file you want and open it.

2 In the New Session From dialog, select the

Au-dio File Type, Sample Rate, and Bit Depth for the new session that will be created from the tem-plate.

3 Click OK.

4 Select the drive where you want to save the

session. The session should be saved on a dedi-cated audio drive.

5 Name your session and click Save.

When the Include Media option is enabled, all media (such as audio files) in the cur-rently open session is included in the tem-plate.

For more information on the options avail-able for saving session templates, see the Pro Tools Reference Guide.

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Creating Templates with Pro Tools

7.4.x and Lower

With Pro Tools 7.4.x and lower, the process for creating and using custom templates differs for Mac and Windows.

Creating and Using Mac Templates

On Mac, create a session template by saving a session file as a Stationery Pad document. Once a session is saved as a Stationery Pad, it acts as a template that can be opened and saved as a new session, or opened as the original stationery pad for editing.

To create a custom session template on Mac:

1 Create a session and arrange its elements as

you want them to appear in the template. In ad-dition to track setup, you can also define ele-ments such as signal routing, insert and send configurations, Mix and Edit window views, ruler settings, and Preference settings.

2 Choose File > Save As.

3 Name the session and click Save.

4 Close the session.

5 In the Mac Finder, locate the session file that

you just saved.

6 Click once on the file to select it.

7 Choose File > Get Info.

8 If necessary, click the General expand/collapse

triangle to display the General information and options.

9 Select the Stationery Pad option.

10 Select the Locked option.

11 Close the information window.

To use a session template on Mac:

1 In Pro Tools, open the session template using

the File > Open Session command.

When you open a session saved as a Stationery Pad, Pro Tools gives you the option of editing the template or starting a new session using the template settings.

2 Click one of the following:

Edit Stationery Lets you edit the session, but the session remains a template. After you save your changes, close the session, and re-open the ses-sion, you are again prompted to either edit the stationery pad or save a copy of the template as a new session.

New Session Prompts you to save a copy of the template as a new session. You can then work in the new session normally.

Creating and Using Windows Templates

To create a custom session template in Windows:

1 Create a session and arrange its elements as

you want them to appear in the template. You can also define elements such as signal routing, insert and send configurations, Track Views, ruler settings, and Preference settings.

2 Choose File > Save As.

3 Name the session and click Save.

4 Close the session.

5 In Windows Explorer, locate the session file

that you just saved.

6 Right-click the file and choose Properties.

7 Under Attributes, select Read Only.

8 Click OK.

Do not double-click a Stationery Pad tem-plate on the desktop to create a new session.

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To use a session template in Windows:

1 Do one of the following:

• Double-click the session template in Win-dows Explorer.

– or –

• In Pro Tools, open the session template us-ing the File > Open Session command.

2 Choose File > Save As.

3 In the Save Session As dialog, create a new

folder where you want to save your session.

4 Name the session and click Save.

5 Start working in the session.

To modify the session template in Windows:

1 In Windows Explorer, open the session’s

Prop-erties.

2 Deselect the Read Only option and click

Ap-ply.

3 Open the session in Pro Tools and make your

changes.

4 Save the session and quit Pro Tools.

5 In Windows Explorer, reopen its Properties,

and change it back to a Read Only file.

Recording the Main L/R Mix

(For FWx, HDx and VENUE MADI)

You can record the Main L/R mix using the VENUE system Direct Outs. Direct Outs give you discrete output level controls for the Pro Tools recording.

On the VENUE System

To record the Main L/R Mix using Direct Outs:

1 Make sure the VENUE system and the

Pro Tools system are connected and configured.

2 Go to the Patchbay page and click the Directs

tab.

3 Click the Outputs tab to the left of the channel

grid.

4 Click the Pro Tools tab at the top right of the

channel grid to show the available Pro Tools channels.

5 Click in the channel grid to assign the Main

Left and Right Direct Outs (listed on the left) to available assignable Pro Tools channels (listed across the top).

See Chapter 2, “Hardware Connections” and Chapter 3, “Configuring VENUE and Pro Tools” for more information.

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6 Click the Pickoff column in the Patchbay to specify one of the following pickoff sources for each Direct Output:

• Top of Mains (indicated by a “T”) • Pre-Fader (indicated by a lowercase “p”) • Post-Fader (indicated by an uppercase “P”)

7 Activate the Direct Outs by clicking either

channel’s In button.

8 Set the level for the Direct Outs by adjusting

either channel’s Direct Out level control on-screen (or use the Direct Out channel encoder on the console if available).

On the Pro Tools System

To record the Main L/R Mix using Direct Outs:

1 Launch Pro Tools and create a session.

2 Create and name a stereo audio track.

3 Assign track inputs so they correspond to the

assignable channels you patched the Main L/R Direct Outs to in the VENUE Patchbay. To change the track’s input assignment, click the Input Path selector and choose the input.

4 Click the track’s Record Enable button. The

Record Enable button flashes when enabled, and is lit solid when engaged.

To send the Main L/R mix pre-EQ, use the Top of Mains pickoff point. This lets you capture the mix without hearing the effect of any inserted plug-ins or graphic EQs.

For the Main L/R channels, adjusting either channel’s Direct Output controls affects both channels.

On-screen Direct Out level control and In/Out button

Direct Out level control

See “Creating a Session” on page 19 for more information.

See “Creating Tracks” on page 23 and “Naming Tracks” on page 23 for more in-formation.

See “Assigning Inputs to Tracks for Record-ing” on page 24 for more information.

Pro Tools track input and output assignments

A record-enabled track

Input Path selector

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5 When Pro Tools starts receiving audio, con-firm the record level. A conservative recording level is best for live recordings. Try to keep re-cord level peaks in Pro Tools to between -3 and -6 dB. Adjusting the fader in Pro Tools will not affect the record level, only the monitor level.

6 In the Edit window toolbar, or in the

Trans-port window (Window > TransTrans-port) click the Re-cord button to arm the Transport.

7 When you are ready to start recording, click

Play or press the Spacebar. To stop recording, press the Spacebar or click Stop.

Recording Submixes

(For FWx, HDx and VENUE MADI)

You can record submixes (also called stems) by sending VENUE system bus outputs directly to Pro Tools. Bus outputs such as Auxes, Groups, Matrixes, and PQs (if available) give you discrete level controls for the Pro Tools recording. Addi-tionally, you can insert VENUE plug-ins such as limiters or compressors on bus outputs. For example, adding a limiter or compressor to the recording output in VENUE can help to keep your Pro Tools tracks from peaking while re-cording. Inserting a limiter or compressor to the tracks in Pro Tools will not limit or compress the incoming signal from VENUE. Plug-ins on Pro Tools tracks are post hard-disk.

On the VENUE System

To record submixes using bus outputs:

1 Make sure the VENUE system and the

Pro Tools system are connected and configured.

2 Assign Stage inputs and any FX Returns to the

output busses you want to record in Pro Tools.

3 Go to the Patchbay page and click the Outputs

tab at the top of the page.

4 To the left of the channel grid, click the tab for

the type of bus output you want to send to Pro Tools.

5 Click the Pro Tools tab at the top right of the

channel grid to show the available outputs to Pro Tools.

Confirming the record level

Use RMS metering on your VENUE system to get a better idea of how VENUE input lev-els translate to Pro Tools recording levlev-els. On your VENUE system, go to Option > In-teraction page. Under Meter, choose RMS Ballistics.

Arming the Transport

See Chapter 2, “Hardware Connections” and Chapter 3, “Configuring VENUE and Pro Tools” for more information.

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6 Click in the channel grid to assign the bus out-puts (listed on the left) to available assignable Pro Tools channels (listed across the top).

7 If you want to insert a plug-in such as a limiter

on a bus, do the following: • Go to the Plug-Ins screen.

• Make sure the plug-in is installed and as-signed to a rack slot.

• Click the Plug-In Input selector at the top of the corresponding rack slot, and choose Inserts from the Input sub-menu.

• Choose the type and channel number of the output you want to insert the plug-in on.

8 Set the levels for the recording by adjusting

the faders for the channels you are sending to Pro Tools.

On the Pro Tools System

To record submixes using bus outputs:

1 Launch Pro Tools and create a session.

2 Create and name audio tracks.

3 Assign track inputs so they correspond to the

assignable channels you patched the bus out-puts to in the VENUE Patchbay. To change a track’s input assignment, click the Input Path se-lector and choose the input.

Routing Group bus outputs to Pro Tools (HDx shown)

Inserting a plug-in on a Group bus output

If you are using bus outputs for your live mix and also want to record them, you can use the Direct Outs of the bus outputs. You can capture any inserted plug-ins and have discrete level control by selecting the Pre-Fader pickoff point for the Direct Out. Select the Top of Channel pickoff point if you do not want to capture any inserted plug-ins.

See “Creating a Session” on page 19 for more information.

See “Creating Tracks” on page 23 and “Naming Tracks” on page 23 for more in-formation.

See “Assigning Inputs to Tracks for Record-ing” on page 24 for more information.

Pro Tools track input and output assignments

Input Path selector

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4 Click the track’s Record Enable button. The Record Enable button flashes when enabled, and is lit solid when engaged.

5 When Pro Tools starts receiving audio,

con-firm the record level. A conservative recording level is best with live recordings. Try to keep re-cord level peaks in Pro Tools to between –3 and –6 dB.

6 In the Edit window toolbar, or in the

Trans-port window (Window > TransTrans-port) click the Re-cord button to arm the Transport.

7 When you are ready to start recording, click

Play or press the Spacebar. To stop, click Stop or press the Spacebar.

Recording Digital Splits

(HDx and VENUE MADI only)

You can record a one-for-one direct digital split of all Stage input channels, letting you do a true multi-track live recording. Later, you can mix and edit the tracks in Pro Tools. Tracks recorded using digital splits also serve as the basis for HDx or VENUE MADI Virtual Soundchecks.

The pickoff point for each channel split is post-analog input gain, but pre-digital trim and all channel processing, including high pass filter. Thus, the gain for any input channel sent to Pro Tools is dependent on the VENUE system input gain setting of that Stage input channel.

A record-enabled track

To record enable all tracks at once, Option-click (Mac) or Alt-Option-click (Windows) a single track’s Record Enable button.

A proper record level peak

Use RMS metering on your VENUE system to get a better idea of how VENUE input lev-els translate to Pro Tools recording levlev-els. On your VENUE system, go to Option > In-teraction page. Under Meter, choose RMS Ballistics.

Record Enable button

Arming the Transport

Use RMS metering on your VENUE system to get a better idea of how VENUE input lev-els translate to Pro Tools recording levlev-els. On your VENUE system, go to Option > In-teraction page. Under Meter, choose RMS Ballistics.

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On the VENUE System

To record a split of the Stage inputs:

1 Make sure the VENUE system and the

Pro Tools system are connected and configured.

2 Go to the Options page and click the System

tab to access the System Configuration page to

confirm that your Stage inputs are active. See

“Enabling Digital Splits” on page 11 for more in-formation.

3 Set the level for the recording by adjusting the

input gain of each Stage input channel.

On the Pro Tools System

To record a split of the Stage inputs:

1 Launch Pro Tools and create a new session.

2 If necessary, confirm that track inputs are

signed correctly. To change a track’s input as-signment, click the track’s Input Path selector and choose the input source from the list.

3 Click the track’s Record Enable button. The

Record Enable button flashes when enabled, and is lit solid when engaged.

4 In Pro Tools, confirm the record level. A

con-servative recording level is best with live record-ings. Try to keep record level peaks in Pro Tools to between –3 and –6 dB.

See Chapter 2, “Hardware Connections” and Chapter 3, “Configuring VENUE and Pro Tools” for more information.

If you want to record more than 81 Stage in-put channels and you have a Pro Tools|HD 3 system (three Pro Tools HD cards total), in VENUE route the Direct Outs of channels 81-96 to HDx 1 or MADI 1 assignable out-puts, then assign to tracks in Pro Tools.

See “Creating a Session” on page 19 for complete information on creating a Pro Tools.

Pro Tools track input and output assignments

Input Path selector

A record-enabled track

To record enable all tracks at once, Option-click (Mac) or Alt-Option-click (Windows) a single track’s Record Enable button.

A proper record level peak

If you want to increase recording levels, you must increase the input gain for Stage input channels on the VENUE system. 0 dBFS (the maximum recording level available in Pro Tools) equals 20 dBVU on the VENUE system.

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5 Choose Window > Mix, and in the toolbar or the Transport (Window > Transport) click the Record button to arm the Transport.

6 When you are ready to start recording, click

Play or press the Spacebar. To stop, press the Spacebar or click Stop.

Performing a Virtual

Soundcheck

You can perform Virtual Soundchecks on all VENUE systems. However, workflows for HDx- and VENUE MADI-equipped systems differ from those for FWx-equipped systems.

HDx and VENUE MADI Virtual

Soundcheck

When you do a Virtual Soundcheck using HDx and VENUE MADI, Pro Tools audio tracks re-corded using a digital split replace the corre-sponding Stage inputs one-for-one, and appear in place of those Stage Inputs in the VENUE soft-ware Patchbay.

On the VENUE System

To perform a Virtual Soundcheck:

1 Make sure the VENUE system and the

Pro Tools system are connected and configured.

2 Load a Show file that has a corresponding

Pro Tools session recorded using a direct digital split.

3 Do one of the following to put your system

into Config Mode:

• Press the Console Config switch on the console.

– or –

• Double-click the Mode box in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

4 Enable Virtual Soundcheck mode. See

“En-abling Virtual Soundcheck Mode” on page 12 for more information. Inputs from Pro Tools re-place your live Stage inputs.

5 You can make changes to your mix in Virtual

Soundcheck mode, which carry over when you exit Virtual Soundcheck mode and switch back to Stage mode.

Arming the Transport

See Chapter 2, “Hardware Connections” and Chapter 3, “Configuring VENUE and Pro Tools” for more information.

When switching from Stage mode to Virtual Soundcheck mode, the digital component of the gain stage (up to +3 dB for the FOH Rack, and up to +6 dB for the Mix Rack) is preserved, so audio signals and Stage inputs have the same apparent level.

If you change the digital gain of any chan-nel from your VENUE console while in Vir-tual Soundcheck mode, you have the option of keeping or discarding those gain changes when you switch back to Stage mode. This is applied to all applicable channels

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On the Pro Tools System

To perform a Virtual Soundcheck:

1 Launch Pro Tools.

2 In the New Session dialog or the Quick Start

dialog, choose Open Session or Open Recent Ses-sion to open the sesSes-sion that corresponds to the currently loaded Show file on your VENUE sys-tem.

3 Make sure that each input track’s output

as-signment matches its input asas-signment one-for-one. To change the track’s output assignment, click the Input Path selector and choose the in-put.

4 In the Edit window toolbar, or in the

Trans-port window (Window > TransTrans-port) click Play, or press the Spacebar to begin playback.

FWx Virtual Soundcheck

With FWx, you can perform the equivalent of a Virtual Soundcheck using Snapshots to store and recall console settings. Create one Snapshot to store the settings with Stage inputs active, and another to store the settings with Pro Tools inputs active.

Because Pro Tools input gains will be different from Stage input gains, you also scope and store PRE settings–which include channel input gain settings–in both Snapshots.

This way, you can adjust input gains for Pro Tools inputs to approximate the input gains for the Stage inputs, and then store those settings in the Pro Tools Snapshot. When you recall the Snapshot with Stage inputs active, your Stage in-put gain settings are restored.

When you want to do another soundcheck at a later time using the same inputs, input gain set-tings are restored by recalling the Snapshot with Pro Tools inputs active.

No other parameters are stored, however, so any changes made in either Snapshot carry over when switching between the two Snapshots. This lets you work on channel and system EQ, dynamics, and effects using Pro Tools tracks, and have the changes carry over to your live mix.

On the VENUE System

To perform a Virtual Soundcheck with FWx:

1 Go to the Snapshots page.

2 Recall an existing Snapshot by selecting a

Snapshot from the Snapshots list and clicking the Recall button.

See “Assigning Outputs to Tracks for Moni-toring, Playback, and Virtual Soundchecks” on page 25 for more information.

See the VENUE D-Show Guide, the VENUE Profile Guide, or the VENUE SC48 Guide for more information on Snapshots.

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3 If you do not have any Snapshots, do the fol-lowing to create a Snapshot:

• Click New. The new Snapshot appears in the Snapshots list.

• Click the channels you want affected when the Snapshot is later recalled so that they are scoped. Scoped channels are displayed in red.

• For each parameter of the scoped channels, click the corresponding Data Type button so that it is scoped. Scoped parameters are displayed in red.

• Double-click the Snapshot name, enter a name for the new Snapshot, and press En-ter on the keyboard.

4 Do the following to create the Snapshot with

live Stage inputs active:

• Create a new Snapshot and name it.

– and –

• In the Scope section of the Snapshots page, click the In and PRE Data Type buttons to scope only the input patching and the in-put gain settings for the scoped inin-put chan-nels. Deselect any other scoped Data Type buttons. Only the IN and PRE buttons should be displayed in red.

Use this Snapshot to restore Stage input gains af-ter the Virtual Soundcheck. All other changes made to your mix carry over when switching be-tween Snapshots.

Scoping the input channels

Data Type Scope buttons default state

Naming a Snapshot

Naming a Snapshot

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